“The silent journey of the North Korean refugees and the help of the Church“
The motto of this year’s Jubilee is “pilgrims of hope.” Walking pilgrimages and hope are two concepts that resonate strongly within me. When I think of going on a walking pilgrimage, the way of St James comes to mind, which I have walked several times. When I think of hope, I think of the desire to visit my beloved land of Granada, since I live thousands of kilometres away in South Korea. What is your hope, I wonder? What comes to mind when you think of going on a walking pilgrimage?
It will depend a lot on the context in which we have lived and on our life experiences how we answer this question. What is the hope of a 9-year-old boy who crosses the border between North Korea and China? What does “a walking pilgrimage” mean for them after crossing the border between China and Laos, on the way to Thailand through the mountains and roads fleeing deportation?
I have been living in South Korea for 19 years and it is 5 years since I first interviewed a political refugee from North Korea who had converted to Catholicism after arriving in the South. Since then, the stories of these brothers and sisters have captivated me. Their resilience, their courage, their desire to live and the story of their conversion are a source of inspiration for me and, why not, a source of hope.
Two stories of hope and resilience
Let me tell you the story of two young North Korean Catholics. The story of their departure from the North and the process of their conversion. Among these pilgrims of hope, some are children, like Estelle.
Estelle (not her real name) left North Korea at the age of 14 (about 12 years ago now). She left with her mother and settled in China. Her mother remarried there. After living in China for a few years, Estelle and her mother decided to escape to Korea again and used the China-Laos-Thailand route to reach South Korea.
Why did they decide to continue escaping once they were in China?
Life in hiding was not easy, especially for women and children, who are always vulnerable to trafficking networks, prostitution and violence. That is why people often undertake the journey again after a few years.
For most North Korean refugees, fleeing North Korea is a desperate search for a better future, health, food, medicine, peace and a dignified life that is finally fully recognized. A true pilgrimage towards hope.
Andrew´s story
Andrew, his younger brother and his mother also travelled the 6,000 kilometres that separate North Korea from the South Korean embassy in Thailand.
This is one of the routes most recommended by brokers who act as smugglers to help people defect from North Korea. Andrew´s father is still in the North and every time he mentions it he gets emotional. Andrew was 9 years old and his brother 7 and it seems like it was yesterday to him when he remembers how the broker scared him by saying that if they moved on the boat the crocodiles of the Mekong could devour them. (The river that divides Laos and Thailand and that all refugees have to cross in their last stretch to reach freedom.)
Leaving North Korea can cost them more than 2000 euros per person, since they must pay the broker who will accompany them to their destination. It means saving that money for years and leaving everything behind with their eyes fixed on their goal.
The Catholic Church in Korea as a beacon of hope
This journey of escape is a heart-breaking experience that leaves deep physical and emotional scars. They often suffer from depression, anxiety disorders and even PTSD due to the traumas experienced in their country of origin and during their escape. However, the Catholic Church, through its efforts in South Korea, plays a fundamental role in the healing process. In the Salesian or Franciscan homes, refugee minors are introduced to a new life and a new family. Through the spiritual and human guidance provided by the nuns and priests, many refugees, like Estelle or Andrew, have found a new family in the Church. The Church also offers them emotional, psychological and spiritual support, which is essential for their integration into South Korean society.
The conversion to Catholicism of many North Korean refugees, pilgrims of hope, is not only an act of faith, but in most cases a gesture of profound gratitude. Estelle, for example, experienced the unconditional love of the nuns who welcomed her. It was at that time that she began to discover not only the beauty of faith, but also her own dignity as a human being. Today, she continues her path at university, working part-time to support herself and contribute to building her own future, but of course much of it thanks to the strength she found in the Church.
In addition to direct aid, through scholarships and emotional support, the efforts of the Catholic Church extend to the creation of support networks. Through mentoring programs, prayer groups and recreational activities, spaces such as Catholic youth clubs for North Koreans are a testimony to the Church’s commitment to reconciliation, peace and integration.
A new future
The story of North Korean refugees is a story of hope. And the Catholic Church, with its mission of welcome and love, becomes the beacon that lights their way towards a new dawn.
Ester Palma
South Korea
All photos belong to the walking pilgrimage organized by the People’s Reconciliation Commission of the Diocese of Seoul for young people this past August 2024 next to the border (DMZ) praying for peace and unity of the two Koreas.
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